Nobody can mistake what Ohio State will roll out on Sunday afternoon as a deep rotation of players. Kyle Young’s sprained ankle, Alonzo Gaffney’s illness, DJ Carton’s leave of absence, Musa Jallow’s redshirt and Justice Sueing’s transfer have forced Chris Holtmann to win with a limited roster.
| Who | Where | When | TV |
|---|---|---|---|
| No. 19 Michigan (18-10, 9-8) | Schottenstein Center | 4 p.m. | CBS |
The lack of options hasn’t mattered lately, though.
With effectively a six-man rotation of CJ Walker, Luther Muhammad, Duane Washington Jr., E.J. Liddell, Andre Wesson and Kaleb Wesson, the No. 23 Buckeyes (19-9, 9-8 Big Ten) knocked off Maryland a week ago and beat Nebraska decisively on the road on Thursday. Now they’ll try to extend their winning streak to three games when they play host to No. 19 Michigan at 4 p.m. on Sunday.
“Obviously feel good about the way we're playing, but in this league it's all about your next game and how you're performing in that one,” Holtmann said on Saturday. “We'll need to play really well against a terrific Michigan team.”
Young is doubtful, Holtmann said, and Gaffney will miss his second game in a row due to an illness.
Down to eight healthy, eligible players, Ohio State will again rely on its six-man rotation, with a dose of Justin Ahrens, to beat the Wolverines, who surely want revenge on the Buckeyes for beating them in Ann Arbor, 61-58, on Feb. 4.
Three Important Wolverines
Zavier Simpson (6-Foot, 190 Pounds)
The Ohioan is only guaranteed one more shot against Ohio State in his collegiate career. Now a senior, Simpson will want to make it memorable, and he’s coming off one of his best performances as a Wolverine. In a loss to Wisconsin, he recorded a career-high 32 points to go along with six assists and five rebounds. Holtmann greatly respects Simpson’s game, calling his ability to read what happens on the court “phenomenal.” He’s averaged 13 points, 7.9 assists and 4.4 rebounds in 33.6 minutes per game.
"Simpson, I think, is one of the really elite competitors that I've ever coached against," Holtmann said.
Isaiah Livers (6-Foot-7, 230 Pounds)
The biggest difference for Michigan between this meeting and the game in February? Livers is expected to play (though one could make a case that starting guard Eli Brooks potentially not being available for the Wolverines due to a broken nose is the answer, too).
Livers has battled injuries, most recently to his right ankle, but he leads the Wolverines in scoring with 13.4 points per game. He’s shooting 48 percent from the field and 44.4 percent from behind the 3-point line. With his addition back to the lineup, Michigan will – provided Brooks plays – trot out five players averaging at least 11 points per game.
Franz Wagner (6-Foot-9, 205 Pounds)
At this point in the year, things begin to click for freshmen, which is exactly what has happened with Wagner, the younger brother of current Washington Wizards and former Michigan forward Moritz Wagner. The German guard has scored between 12 and 22 points in his past four games, shooting 61.4 percent from the field and 41.2 percent from beyond the arc. For the season, Wagner averages 11.2 points and 5.6 rebounds per game. He went 2-for-12 against Ohio State in February, and it seems unlikely that he’ll replicate that on Sunday.
Three Important Buckeyes
Kaleb Wesson
Without Wesson’s stellar play on both ends of the court, Ohio State would’ve had no chance to beat Michigan in their first meeting this season. He played arguably the best two-way game of his career, recording 23 points and 12 rebounds in 36 minutes.
“Kaleb today, I think, was who he is and that is one of the best bigs in the country,” Holtmann said after the win.
In his second meeting with 7-foot-1, 265-pound Jon Teske, Wesson will try to match what he did in February.
CJ Walker
It’s flown a bit under the radar since nothing he does would qualify as flashy, but Walker has found a bit of a late-season groove. Including his 15-point, three-assist, one-turnover performance in Thursday’s win against Nebraska, he has averaged nine points with a 38-to-12 assist-to-turnover ratio in the past nine games. He’s also scored in double figures in the past three games. He hadn’t reached double-digit points in back-to-back games before this season.
Walker struggled as a scorer in his first matchup with Michigan, going 0-for-5 from the field for two points, though he had five assists compared to one turnover. He has a chance to improve on that on Sunday.
E.J. Liddell
Amid his best three-game stretch as a Buckeye, it simultaneously feels as though Liddell is barely scratching the surface of his potential and has had somewhat of a minor breakthrough. He set career-highs in points (17) and rebounds (8) in a loss to Iowa, grabbed three offensive rebounds against Maryland then blocked a career-high five shots in the beatdown of Nebraska.
Liddell only played 11 minutes against Michigan in February. With Young doubtful, it’s likely that Liddell sees more playing time on Sunday.
Three Numbers To Know
2-Point Percentage Vs. 3-Point Percentage
Ohio State’s issues defending the 3-point arc have been well-documented, and they remain a concern. Michigan, though, does most of its damage inside the arc. It shoots 52.5 percent from 2-point range, which ranks first in the Big Ten, and is 11th in the conference with a 30.9 percentage from 3-point range.
Turnover Rate
No team in the Big Ten has a lower turnover percentage in conference play than Michigan, which coughs the ball up only 13.2 percent of its possessions. That could be an area the Wolverines can take advantage of, considering the Buckeyes have been turnover-prone this season. In the first game, though, Ohio State had eight turnovers compared to Michigan’s 12 turnovers.
Adjusted Defensive Efficiency
Though Michigan has been one of the Big Ten’s most efficient offensive teams in the conference season, its play on the other end of the court has left something to be desired. It’s ninth in the Big Ten with an adjusted defensive efficiency of 102.1. Before facing Wisconsin on Thursday, the Wolverines’ defensive metrics had been trending in a positive direction. But Michigan had a season-worst single-game adjusted defensive efficiency of 116.1 in its loss to the Badgers.
Other Notes
- The Buckeyes will wear their retro scarlet jerseys, and the sold-out crowd of fans is encouraged to wear scarlet.
- Holtmann has a 1-0 all-time series lead on Juwan Howard.
- Holtmann says he has no news on DJ Carton, who has again begun to take classes in Columbus.
- Holtmann: "Their size and length is a major concern." He says Michigan has one of the biggest starting lineups he has seen.
How It Plays Out
The logic might seem simple. “How could Ohio State lose at home if it already beat Michigan on the road?” Maybe that’ll prove to be the case. But things in the Big Ten don’t always make sense.
Livers actually playing, Wagner recently hitting down shots and Michigan having put together one of its better defensive games of the Big Ten season against Ohio State in February should keep the Buckeyes on edge. This has the makings of a back-and-forth game.
Prediction: Ohio State 68, Michigan 67
